Memorial Day
by honu59
Summary: Five years after Chin Ho's death, Alia Kelly visits her father's grave on Memorial Day and with the help of a friend, learns to leave her regrets in the past where they belong.


_**A.N. **__– Hawaii Five-O belongs to CBS. No copyright infringement is intended. _

_Thanks to "Tanith2011" for beta reading this. I would also like to say a special thank you to "Nans", "Annie11117" and "H5O 1.0 FOREVER" for their very kind reviews to my stories._

_This year, Memorial Day fell on Kam Fong's birthday, so this story is dedicated to him._

**Memorial Day**

**May 30, 1983**

Two simple grave markers sat side by side: a loving husband and wife, now side by side in eternity as they once were in their earthly life. A petite twenty-eight year old woman stood alone in the small hillside cemetery, her flower printed skirt swirling around her legs in the afternoon breeze, her long black hair flowing from her bowed head, hiding her face. She was grateful for the solitude. Coming from a large family, the moments in her life when she could be by herself were rare and coveted. She wasn't overly surprised that this place was so deserted, even on Memorial Day. The day's official ceremonies were taking place at the Punchbowl and the Natatorium. But _her_ heroes lay in this place, now at her very feet.

Alia Kelly knelt beside the first headstone then removed the dried, withered remnants of the dozen white roses from the family's last visit and brushed aside the grass clippings. Carefully placing a fragrant plumeria lei on the marker, she whispered "I miss you, Mom," her voice shaking slightly. Then moving to the adjacent marker, her eyes filled with tears as she ran her fingers over the lettering engraved in the stone:

**Chin Ho Kelly**

**Loving Husband and Father**

**1920 – 1978**

Though it had been five years since that awful day, the pain of her father's violent death still seemed so fresh. Alia sat there for a long time remembering the close bond she had enjoyed with her dad when she was little. How foolish she had been to jeopardize that relationship when she had fallen head over heels in love with Rono Vidalgo. It would have been so simple, but she just couldn't see it then. If only she had gone to her parents and been honest with them. But lie built upon lie until she was in over her head. Her marriage to Rono lasted less than a day; the day that she had learned what he really was. Her dad had forgiven all, but it took much longer to rebuild trust and forge a new relationship with her parents. Now she would give anything to turn back the clock and change that part of her past.

Alia took her second lei, this one of red carnations, kissed it and placed it on Chin's stone, arranging it so that the brightly colored flowers encircled his name. "Oh Daddy, I miss you so much…" Her aching words were answered only by rustling palm trees and distant sounds of city traffic carried on the trades. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she heard a gentle familiar voice behind her.

"Looks like we had the same idea."

Alia rose to her feet and looked into kind blue eyes beneath greying blond curls and the warm smile of Dan Williams. The detective, now in his forties, was dressed casually in khakis and an aloha shirt. In his hand he held a lei of red and white carnations tied with a blue ribbon, colors appropriate for the day.

"Hi Danny," Alia replied as she melted into his warm hug and rested her head against his chest.

Dan relished the closeness he felt for the petite woman in his arms; to him she was like a beloved kid sister. "Where're Tim and the others?" he asked as he broke the embrace.

"We were all here for Mother's Day and we'll be back in a few weeks for Father's Day," the eldest Kelly daughter explained. "But I wanted to come by myself today." Her voice trailed off and she brushed away a stray tear.

"You okay, Alia?" Dan asked as he gave her hand a supportive squeeze and looked into her dark eyes.

"Yeah," Alia replied. "It's just that some memories are still so painful. I wish that I had never…"

_Oh. _Dan realized where she was heading and cut in before she could finish. "You made a mistake, Alia, but that's in the past now. Your father forgave you a long time ago."

"But I'm still having trouble forgiving myself, Danny," Alia admitted with downcast eyes.

_How many times have I been there? _Dan wistfully mused. He thought back to when he was a fresh, new Five-O detective, still in his twenties, gung ho, daring and so eager to please. He had made plenty of mistakes back then, some of them serious, some life changing. And after those mistakes, he had been harder on himself than his boss could ever be, which was really saying something considering that his boss was Steve McGarrett! But over the years as Dan had matured, he had learned to accept his imperfections, learn from his mistakes and move on. He had figured out how to forgive himself. It had been a hard lesson, perhaps the hardest according to the head of Five-O.

Dan lifted Alia's chin upward so that her eyes met his. "You're human, Alia, so you're going to make mistakes," Dan began, carefully choosing his words. "We all do. I've made plenty of mistakes. Your father made mistakes, too. But you can't change the past. You can only learn from it and try to live better in the present. It's what your parents would have wanted for you. He paused, hoping his words had provided some comfort and wisdom.

"I guess that you're right," Alia replied half-heartedly.

"I _know _that I'm right," Dan added quickly, his growing smile lighting up his eyes. "Do you have any idea how proud of you Chin was?"

Alia shook her head slowly, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I remember when you graduated from college," Dan continued. "We heard about it for an entire week! I've never seen your father so puffed up over anything else."

This comment caused a blush to rise in the young woman's cheeks as she envisioned her father's proud face on the evening of her graduation ceremony.

"And by this time next year, you'll have your master's degree!" Dan proclaimed; his own admiration evident in his voice. "Alia, you have done your parents proud. Please don't sell yourself short."

At that, Alia gratefully wrapped her arms around the detective. "Thanks, Danny," she whispered as she smiled for the first time since he had arrived. "Dad always said that you had a way with words."

"I only speak the truth," Dan responded with a wink. Then he turned back toward the stone that marked the final resting place of an irreplaceable friend, knelt down and placed his own lei on the stone next to Alia's. "Chin, you were such an important part of my life. I still miss you; hard to believe it's been five years," Dan said quietly as a single tear ran down his cheek. "I hope that I'm doing you proud, too." He said a silent prayer for Chin and his wife before he rose to his feet and brushed the grass clippings from his slacks.

Moved by the detective's heartfelt words, Alia's eyes again brimmed with tears.

"Don't you start that again," Dan teased, putting his arm around her shoulder.

Alia laughed through her tears.

"That's better. Come on; let's go get a cup of coffee."

Together they walked toward the path that led back to the parking lot.

**Pau**


End file.
